character sketch of Eveline
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Eveline Hill
Character Analysis
The protagonist of the story, Eveline is a hard-working Irish woman around age nineteen living with her father in her childhood home in Dublin. She lives a hard life caring for her abusive father and two children who have been left in her care, while also working in the Stores, the popular name for a local shop. She gives all of her earnings to her father, who still scolds her and accuses her of spending her money irresponsibly. He also has increasingly begun to threaten her, since she is no longer a child and neither of her brothers, Harry and Ernest, nor her mother, are around to protect her anymore. As a result of this stress, Eveline has begun to suffer from heart palpitations. Despite this, she still appreciates the familiarity and comfort of home, so it is particularly hard for her to make a decision when she finds herself contemplating whether or not to run away to Buenos Ayres with her lover, Frank. Much like in “Araby,” the conflict of the story happens entirely in the protagonist’s mind. Eveline feels obligated to stay in Dublin and fulfill her responsibilities and keep her promise to keep the house together, but she also feels that she should have the right to pursue her own happiness, rather than always attending to the needs of others. Eveline is deeply religious and continually prays to God, asking for guidance with her difficult decision. She feels perpetually powerless over her situation, and looks to either God or Frank to save her. Afraid of ending up like her mother, who continually sacrificed herself for her family and eventually went insane, Eveline decides to go meet Frank at the station and continue with her plan to run away. However, at the last minute she can only stare at the sea, overcome by anxiety and emotion, and watch Frank board the ship alone. Eveline is driven by fear, but also by her sense of helplessness. She knows that she does not love Frank, and could easily end up in another abusive situation, just like her mother.